9/10/2023 0 Comments Faa atc delays![]() ![]() Working with pilots, the ATC tower and the FAA, Alaska’s team has made more efficient use of Seattle’s runways, which has decreased the number of departure and arrival delays. “Alaska Airlines is investing time, energy and resources to operate as efficiently as possible, but we’re also working with the FAA with an eye toward the future to mitigate additional delays as air traffic continues to grow,” Osterdahl said. Alaska’s Flight Operations ATC team not only listens to the FAA, they also propose changes to the FAA’s requirements to minimize the impact of delay programs.Īlaska recently hired Steven Osterdahl as director of air traffic and air space operations. Multiple times each day, Alaska’s ATC chief dispatchers communicate with the FAA in Virginia about what’s happening in the sky. What’s Alaska doing about it?Īir Traffic Control is an ongoing process. “We’re taking a proactive approach to manage air traffic on a day-to-day basis,” says Todd Sproul, Alaska’s vice president of system operations. In a more common scenario, San Francisco’s visibility-impairing fog regularly complicates schedules.Īir travel has seen huge growth over the past decade, and it has been difficult for airports to meet demand for more runways and gates. Poor visibility from wildfire smoke, for instance, repeatedly delayed flights in the Pacific Northwest and California this past summer. Some delays are seasonal (like snow and thunderstorms), while others are unusual. And it’s not always the weather at the airport you’re departing – it’s usually the weather along your route or at your destination. When you’re waiting for your flight on a bluebird day, it can be hard to believe that weather is the biggest culprit, causing nearly 80 percent of all delays. ![]() Other times, airlines cancel flights to help minimize the snowball effect of delays, and passengers are rebooked on the next available flight. Of course, that slower rate creates a backlog.Īirplanes must wait their turn in the air, at the departure gate or on the taxiway. Instead of 60 airplanes arriving every hour, for instance, ATC might restrict the flow to 30 airplanes. When airport conditions deteriorate – wind, snow, poor visibility, or even too many flights scheduled in the same time period – controllers ensure the highest levels of safety by requiring more space between planes as they arrive or depart. In perfect conditions, planes can fly closer together. That includes maintaining a safe amount of separation between aircraft. It manages the flow of planes as they arrive and depart airports. Illustration of Alaska Airlines planes lined up at the gates.įew things are as frustrating as sitting on an airplane waiting out an “ATC delay.”ĪTC is airline-speak for Air Traffic Control, a program governed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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